


flame that's burning

by madkingray



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-12
Packaged: 2018-07-23 13:04:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7464339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madkingray/pseuds/madkingray
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I would have done it again. I probably will do it again."</p><p>"Why?” It slips out before he can stop it, showing his confusion. Keith seems to relax some, fire dying down as his lips twitch—as if he was trying not to smile. </p><p>“Because it’s you.” He says simply. “Because I <i>want</i> to protect you the best I can. That’s always going to be my reason and it’s never going to change.” A pause before Keith’s voice goes softer. “You’re important to me, Shiro. I’d do anything to keep you safe.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	flame that's burning

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to my (internet) mom for helping me fix this up i love you mom i hope i made you proud
> 
> also thanks to hoshi for the starting idea for this, which we talked about in gc last night!

“Keith, we should really talk about this."

"There’s nothing to talk about, Shiro.” Is what he gets in reply, not even a look in his direction but then again, Keith is trying his best to wash away the blood from his hands. “Someone was going to kill you, so I killed them. We’ve been doing that with the Galra soldiers, why is this any different?"

For a moment, Shiro doesn't know what to say. His mind flashes back to how he felt after winning fights when he was a prisoner—there wasn’t always blood on his hands, but he felt like it was there and it _still_ haunts him. He doesn’t want Keith to feel that way.

But Keith doesn’t seem to, at least that’s what Shiro reads. His expression is exasperated, a hint of irritation in his eyes—maybe from Shiro’s pestering—but he doesn’t look agonized over it, not like Shiro had felt in the past.

"I just don’t want you to regret it, I suppose.” Shiro says quietly, taking a step back at the sudden _fire_ in Keith’s eyes.

“Shiro.” He says quietly, but clearly, eyes locked with his. “I don’t regret it, I’m never going to regret it. I know you’re worried about that and I don’t want to make you worry. It’s fine, okay? I would have done it again. I probably will do it again."

"Why?” It slips out before he can stop it, showing his confusion. Keith seems to relax some, fire dying down as his lips twitch—as if he was trying not to smile.

“Because it’s you.” He says simply. “Because I _want_ to protect you the best I can. That’s always going to be my reason and it’s never going to change.” A pause before Keith’s voice goes softer. “You’re important to me, Shiro. I’d do anything to keep you safe.”

 

It had been building up for a while. The fights they were having hadn’t been up close and personal like the last time, all of them needing only their Lions. The fights weren’t easy but that wasn’t the cause of Shiro’s worry all of those times. After another fight, he  _has_ to say something.

“You can’t keep doing that.”

“Doing what? Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m being serious, Keith. One of these days you’re going to get your Lion hurt. _Yourself_ hurt.”

Keith doesn’t look at him, arms crossed as he scowls at the floor. Shiro sighs, sitting down across from him. Trying to talk to Keith about the events of the day is proving harder than he thought. At least the others were kind enough to let him do it alone, without their hovering.

“I don’t know why you thought drawing their fire away from me and onto you was a good idea, because it definitely isn't. It just increases your chances of getting blown out of the sky.” He pauses when Keith sits down as well, gazes at him for a bit before continuing. “I can handle it on my own, I’m certain I can dodge as well as you can and even if I do get hit I can handle that too.”

“If I can do something that helps keep you alive then I’m doing it, Shiro.” Keith looks at him, finally, no hesitation as he speaks. “If it means getting hurt, then I’ll get hurt, simple. It’ll happen anyway, why not get hurt in a way that makes it all worth it?”

“Because you get hurt.” The panic that he had been feeling earlier, watching Keith swerve between blasts with an occasional hit, is trying to come back—hard to shove down. “I don’t want you getting hurt for me.”

“That’s not your decision to make.”

“Seems like it should be.”

“You’re _important_ to me, Shiro!”

“And you think you’re not important to me? Seeing you do that was—” _Terrifying, fear and panic gripping his heart tight and all he could do was take out the ships and_ hope _that Keith would make it out okay._ “—I don’t think I can watch you do that again, Keith.” A shaky exhale escapes as he drops his gaze, staring down at his hands. “I don’t want to lose you.”

The silence stretches on for a few long moments before he gives in the urge to look at Keith.

He blinks.

Keith looks surprised, staring at Shiro. A thought enters his head, there and gone in a second— _Maybe no one’s ever told him that before_. He feels a bit warm all over, embarrassment coursing through him as they stare at each other.

“I don’t want to lose you, either.” Keith breaks the silence, speaking quietly—Shiro was already listening closely, so he didn’t miss it. “That’s why I do that.”

“But what if you do that and get hurt? What if none of us can get to you? Where will that leave me?” The answer is there but he doesn’t want to say it out loud and he knows that Keith understand what it is as well, because it’s something they don’t want to feel.

_Alone._

“I’ll be more careful, then.” A pause. “But you have to be careful too.”

Shiro nods. “I will.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

 

He hisses when he’s placed on the floor, wound on his side flaring with pain. He gets an apology in response, something he can only nod to in reply.

“Shiro,” There’s a hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at Keith, that’s right. “Can you stay here for a bit?”

He hums.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Okay, I’m going to go take care of them. Stay safe, alright?” He’s gone before Shiro can think of something to say in reply.

His world is a bit hazy, keeping his eyes closed longer and longer each time he blinks. He can make out the faint sounds of fighting, weapon against weapon. Slowly, he pushes himself up, wincing the whole time and leaning against the wall for support.

Keith comes to mind immediately, remembering the words from a while (seconds?) ago. Is Keith okay? Is he able to fight on his own? There’s no panic— _yet_ —but Shiro has a sudden need to go out there and help him, because what if he gets cornered? What if he gets—

“Hey, I said to stay safe. Pretty sure this doesn’t count as safe.”

Shiro looks up (how did he get back on the floor again?) and tries his best to focus on Keith, managing to keep his eyes open as he crouches down in front of him. His mind clears a bit, enough for him to register the blood all over Keith’s suit.

He licks his lips. “You good?” It’s quiet, worry showing in his voice.

Keith stares for a few seconds before ducking his head, but not before Shiro catches the beginnings of a smile. “I’m fine.” He replies. “What about you? Does it hurt?”

“A bit.”

This time Keith does look at him, eyes warm. “Don’t worry. They won’t hurt you again.”

The reprimand that should be there isn’t and the worry that he thought he would feel isn’t there either. Shiro considers this, considers Keith in his blood stained paladin suit, looking at Shiro with no regret on his face (similar to the last time this happened)—and the fact that Keith definitely killed all those enemies out there doesn’t bother him like it should.

Shiro wants to say something, though he's not sure what, but that thought is drowned out by the sudden wave of _warmth_ over the fact that someone, that _Keith,_ would do something like that for him.

Over that fact that Keith killed again, because someone hurt _Shiro._

“Thank you.” He says instead, offering a smile.

Keith’s smile isn’t quite as large, but it’s still the brightest he’s seen, and then he’s there in Shiro’s space, forehead pressed against his own.

“I’d do anything to keep you safe.” Keith says, repeating the words he had said days ago.

Shiro feels warmer.

 

He begins to understand when it’s _Keith_ who ends up being hurt.

It’s not a bad injury but it has Keith looking all dazed and in pain. All Shiro can feel is worry and panic before it’s drowned out by sudden _anger._ It’s almost consuming, the protective rage he’s feeling over the fact that one of their soldiers managed to _hit_ Keith and _hurt_ him.

They’re laughing, mocking, he can hear the way their voices rise and fall with it and then he’s there—metal arm easily going through the chest of one. The others lingering there looked frightened by him. _Good,_ he thinks viciously, pulling his arm free and knocking the rest back with a single swipe.

The Galra purple glow has never looked so satisfying as he takes each one out, knocking them to the floor without getting hit himself.

When he’s the last one standing he lingers there, watching the glow fade from his hand—no sign that he’d done anything with it. He’s quick to collect himself, taking a deep breath before heading back to Keith.

Keith stares at him from his place against the wall, hand pressed against his side.

“You killed them all.” He says, astonished.

“I did.”

“Why?”

Shiro doesn’t even have to think of an answer, it slips out easily. “Because they hurt you.”

There’s that surprised look again, but he doesn’t focus on it. Shiro reaches out, grabbing Keith’s wrist gently and pulling it back to inspect the wound.

It doesn’t look too bad, just a graze with only a little bleeding and he finds himself relaxing, giving Keith’s wrist a light squeeze before releasing it. This time, _he_ is the one who moves into Keith’s space, pressing their foreheads together and just _breathing._ He feels a hand reach for his own, the extra touch soothing him even more.

“I’m okay,” Keith whispers, and it reassures him more than he expected.

“Yeah,” Shiro says, the realization of what Keith must have been feeling every time Shiro nearly got hurt and the times he actually _did_ dawning on him—understanding relief over the fact that he was able to prevent Keith from getting hurt worse.

Understanding what it felt like to kill to protect, and how he would do it again.

“I know.”

 

Having each other’s back is easier, the two of them working in harmony to make sure they (or any of their teammates) don’t get hurt. It sometimes feels like a dance, Shiro turning to the left while Keith easily takes out soldiers on their right, Keith using his sword to knock them down and twisting to the side just as Shiro rushes in to take them out.

It’s harder when they have to split up, which is rare but when they _do_ have to…

“I have to go with them,” Shiro says from their hiding spot. Their time is limited and they’re all using it to decide on what they have to do before soldiers arrive. “My hand can open the doors around here. They’d rather use me than try grab a soldier arm and potentially get caught that way.”

Keith looks at him for a while before finally nodding. Shiro makes to leave, but stops when a hand pulls on his wrist.

He turns to Keith, question fading on his tongue; he can’t remember what he’s supposed to be doing in this moment because all he can feel is lips against his own before they disappear.

Keith’s face is slightly pink, but his eyes are warm. “Stay safe.” He says, sword appearing in hand as he turns and rushes off with Hunk.

Shiro stays in place, fingers coming up to touch his lips. Other moments with Keith had been warm, this moment was definitely different from the rest and he feels like he might be _burning._

“Oh.” He says to himself, dazed.

With one last look at where Keith had disappeared, he turns and goes with Pidge; trying to get himself together.

 

The unease he would normally feel when they’re apart is gone, he’s too focused on Keith—on _them._ He’s trying to figure out what it meant and what it’ll mean for them. He knows that if he wants to find out then he has to make sure he gets out of this _alive._

It’s motivation enough.

The fear nearly makes an appearance, when they group up again—mission a success; they had gotten the intel they needed with ease—and he doesn’t see Keith immediately. It disappears the moment Keith walks through the doors, no injuries anywhere he can see.

The others decide to linger around, smiling and relaxing where they sit, but Shiro keeps his eyes on Keith, edging closer the moment he smiles at Shiro. It’s a happy smile, like he’s happy at the sight of Shiro. He turns and starts walking back out the doors, but not before he looks back at Shiro.

Shiro follows him out.

Steps in unison, they walk together in a comfortable silence. Shiro stops when Keith does, in one of the many hallways in the castle. The silence stretches on longer, Keith staring down at the helmet in his hands and Shiro staring at Keith.

He has to say something.

“Why did you..?”

He wants to ask more, wants to ask all the questions that are rushing through his head— _What does this mean? What will we be? Do you want to again? Is it okay if I can?_ —but he refrains from doing so.

Keith looks up at him, letting the helmet fall to the floor as one of his hands reaches up to run fingers through Shiro’s tuft of hair. “Because it felt right.” He says, bringing the hand down to his cheek. He lets it rest there, eyes locked with Shiro’s. “Because I _wanted_ to.”

They meet each other this time, a kiss that that lasts for a while followed by their foreheads pressed together. They breathe together and, with Keith this close to him, Shiro feels complete.

 

Shiro ducked just as the red and white sword swings where he was standing, easily catching the soldier behind them and ending their life—even though he doesn’t see it happen, he knows that it has, Keith wouldn’t leave them alive. He darts forward as Keith moves to the side, hand lighting up purple as he easily slices off an arm and then a leg. The soldier goes down easy, and a knife in the head kills them.

“You good?” Shiro asks as Keith goes to grab his knife. They’re both a bit scraped and dirty, but there’s no hint of any major injuries.

“I’m good.” They move closer to each other, lost in their own little world for a moment. “You?”

“Never better.” Shiro smiles at him, and receives a smile in return. “Don’t go off on your own, we’re keeping _each other_ safe this time. Together, no matter what.”

Keith leans up, giving him a quick kiss.

“Safe,” he says, nodding.

“Safe,” Shiro agrees, and they go off to find the rest of the soldiers.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed this! i really like sheith so. i mean, i don't know if i'll write more but we'll see.
> 
> also you can catch me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/madkingxray) or [tumblr](http://madkingray.tumblr.com/) !


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